Wet Conditions Impact Day One of Netball at Newspaper Cup

The opening day of the netball competition at the Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup was disrupted by rain on Friday, forcing two matches to be halted before completion.

Fixtures between Kunene and Ohangwena, as well as Oshana and Otjozondjupa, could not be concluded due to the wet conditions and are set to resume on Saturday.

Netball Namibia president Juanita Witbeen says the interruption was handled according to standard procedure, with matches paused at the exact point they were stopped.

Witbeen says, “Nature is one thing we can never control. What is going to happen now is the games will stop at the quarter, which was the second quarter of the current running game, with the exact time and scores as they remain. We will unfortunately only continue tomorrow morning from those exact times and scores, and then finish the remaining two quarters.”

Despite the disruptions, several matches were completed, delivering competitive action across the courts.

Hosts //Kharas endured a disappointing start, losing 25–14 to Omusati as the northern side proved too strong in the opening fixture.

Defending champions Kavango East opened their campaign with a solid 26–17 victory over Kavango West, but their momentum was later halted by Khomas, who secured a 35–28 win in a tightly contested clash. Earlier, Khomas had already made a strong statement with a dominant 40–17 victory over Oshikoto.

Erongo also impressed, beating Zambezi 26–15 before edging Omusati 21–20 in a closely fought encounter.

Omaheke maintained a strong run, defeating Oshana 23–14 and later overcoming Oshikoto 28–20 with consistent performances.

Kunene started well with a 20–13 win over Hardap, while Hardap bounced back to beat Zambezi 24–13 later in the day.

In individual performances, Khomas’ goal attacker Tjiriange Tanya and Erongo’s goal defender Ndala Liyah were among the standout players, each earning Player of the Match honours. Omaheke’s Verizemba Tjipetekera and Kunene’s Mumbimbi Uavinjango also impressed with strong displays.
Reflecting on the overall quality of play, Witbeen says the standard of netball continues to improve across regions.

She says, “It is exactly what we expected. The regions are going back and doing what they need to do. I really need to applaud the leadership because they are encouraging young players to come on board and perform at this level. We have seen outstanding players from different regions, and we are excited to see who will be crowned champions in 2026.”

The tournament continues on Saturday, with organisers hoping for improved weather conditions to allow all remaining fixtures to be completed as scheduled.

Day 1 Results – Friday, 3 April 2026
Erongo 26–15 Zambezi
Kunene 20–13 Hardap
Omusati 25–14 //Kharas
Khomas 40–17 Oshikoto
Omaheke 23–14 Oshana
Kavango East 26–17 Kavango West
Hardap 24–13 Zambezi
Erongo 21–20 Omusati
Omaheke 28–20 Oshikoto
Khomas 35–28 Kavango East
Matches Not Completed (Rain Delays)
Kunene vs Ohangwena (to resume Saturday)
Oshana vs Otjozondjupa (to resume Saturday)

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